How do musicians find the inspiration to create? Do most songwriters come up with lyrics first, or music? What does it mean to be a composer in today's high-tech world? This program addresses questions young people may have about embarking on a career in music or musical composition. Focusing on current styles like rock, techno, and hip-hop, the video includes interviews with a classically trained composer as well as artists in other genres. Subjects include pitch, tempo, notation, lyric sheets, theme and variation, melody, harmony, texture, song structure, the use of computers, collaboration, and working as a solo artist.

Learn360 is distributed by Infobase for Films for the Humanities & Sciences, Cambridge Educational, Meridian Education, and Shopware. Encoded with permission for digital streaming by Infobase on October 01, 2010.

What Is Music Composition? (5:50) -- Theme and Variation (4:38) -- Lyrics and Music (4:38) -- Form and Structure Part I (4:37) -- Form and Structure Part II (4:38) -- Credits: An Introduction to Composing (0:37).